Amusement ride



Dec. 30, 1947. N. BARTLETT 7 2,433,807

AMUSEMENT RIDE Ffiled March 16, 1944 -2 Sheets-Sheet l NORMAN BARTLETT Dec. 30, 1947. N. BARTLETT 2,433,807

AMUSEMENT RIDE Filed March 16, 1944 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I20 I23 I22 l2l I26 I28 I27 97. I22 IZI I23 IOI f 0 I03 M52 89 88 90 I IO 04 v! 0 I05 86 58 o In Wenio 7' NORMAN BARTLETT X\\\\\\ I G m, ff w Patented Dec. 30, 1947 23133580? -AMUSEMENT=RIDEz signer orbne-ha flo Mariorie narflett;*Naftlr *To'n'awenda, N. Y.

f the chain eleme ts egd 25. After they reach a position where the chain elements 42 are straight, further outward and upward movement is along an arc tangential to the first arc but having its center at the axis of the pivotal connection between supporting arms 20 and brackets l8 of the rotatable drum I6.

In conventional aerial rides where the cars are suspended vertically from their upper support means, the support means must be as large in diameter as the diameter of the circular position which the cars assume at rest. This, of course, greatly complicates the construction and materially increases the lever arm of the pull of the cars on the support structure. Further, in conventional arrangement the cars move outwardly and upwardly about a long radius struck from the upper point of connection with the rotatable support. Since this large arc begins more or less tangential to the ground or supporting base, it requires a very large circular area to permit the cars to move outwardly and upwardly without interference.

By virtue of the provision of the tubular ring 25, resulting as it does in a compound arcuate movement of the cars in their ascension, any desired number of cars may be used without increasing the diameter of the upper support structure. Further, since the cars rise much more sharply from their position of rest by virtue of the compound arcuate movement, a much less area is required for a ride of a given capacity.

The drum I and all of the car suspension and support structures carried thereby are positively rotated by means of a gear 45 secured to the drum I6 and a pinion 45 which meshes therewith. A vertical drive shaft 41 extends alongside the central post I!) and is supported by the post through bearing brackets 48. The pinion 46 is secured to the upper end of drive shaft 4'! and a bevel gear 58 is provided at its lower end.

' A driving motor 5| connects with a combined clutch-brake unit 52 of conventional construction andmanual means 53 are provided for controlling clutching and braking action. The driven side of the clutch-brake unit 52 engages a conventional reducing gear 54 whose output shaft carries a bevel pinion 55 which meshes with the bevel gear 50 of the driving shaft 47.

A cam mechanism is designated generally 58 in Fig. 1 and is shown in detail in the cross sectional enlargement, Fig. 3. When the cars are in the rest positions illustrated in Fig. 1 the cam mechanism 58 is supported in an upper position so as to be of no eifect, in a manner which will presently appear. In the form illustrated in Figs. 1 and 3 each of the car suspension arms 20 has an inner extension 61 provided with a cam follower roller 62.

As operation of the ride proceeds and the cars 40 accelerate, they move upwardly and outwardly by pivotal movement of their supporting arms 20, under the influence of centrifugal force, until the arms 20 and the chains and cables extending therefrom assume a position approaching the horizontal. The ride is then at normal operating speed and ready to have the cam mechanism 58 brought into play to modify the until now continuous circular movements of the cars. The cam mechanism serves to impart periodic supplementary oscillations to the arms 20 through their extensions 6|.

. Referring particularly to Fig. 3 the numeral designates a cam mechanism supporting tube which is axially moveable within the stationary tubular member II but is held against relative,

rotation by a roller 56 which is carried by supporting tube 65 and engages a vertical slot 61 in the tubular member II. The cam mechanism support tube 65 is normally biased to its upper limit of movement, the position shown in Fig. 1, by a compression coil spring 75 which rests on an annular seat 'EI fixed to the rigid tubular member Ii and whose upper end bears against a flange it which is part of a cup shaped member it rigidly secured to the cam mechanism supporting tube 55.

For lowering the cam mechanism, the lower end of supporting tube 65 has a cable 75 attached thereto. The cable'l5. passes downwardly and about a pulley (not shown) and thence laterally to a further guide pulley H, from which it passes to a conventional winch l3. By clockwise rotation of a handle I9 of the winch, the cable I5 may be wound on the drum thereof to lower the cam mechanism against the resistance of spring Ill.

The cam itself comprises a generally radial anular plate 8i! which is formed to undulate circumferentially. The undulations are provided by a pair of downwardly directed cam lobes, one of which appears at 8| in Fig. 3. The cam 55 has secured rigidly thereto, as for instance, by welding, a concentric bearing sleeve 82 which is mounted for free rotation on the cam mechanism supporting tube 55 by means of anti-friction bearings At its upper end the tube 65 is capped by a plate 85 wn1ch serves as a support for various cam controlling instrumentalities. The cam 85 has secured to its upper surface an internal ring gear 86 which meshes with a pinion 8? supported for free rotation by a bracket 88 secured to the non-rotatable support plate A gear 89 is fixed for coaxial rotation with pinion til and meshes with a pinion 9i) which serves to drive a turntable iii. The turntable 9| and the drive shaft connecting it with pinion are supported by a bracket 52 likewise carried by support plate 85.

When the cam mechanism begins to lower, it does not impart full amplitude oscillations to support arms 25 and accordingly a greater relative speed as between the cam 80 and the rotating car support structure is permissible. During th.s phase of operation it is desired to hold the cam ta fixed against any rotation so that the effective relative rotation between cam BI) and the cam followers 52 will be exactly equal to the speed of rotation of the car supporting structure, including the cam followers 62. To this end the turntable 9! is provided with a radial brake shoe lilo carried by a lever iIiI whose opposite end is pivotally connected to a bracket I02 which is in turn rigidly connected to support plate 85.

The lever [III has an intermediate pivotally connected link IE3 and the latter is connected to one end of a lever m4 which is pivotally supported at a medial point by a bracket I05. A compression coil spring I06 seats on the bracket I55 and bears against lever IUI to normally engage brake shoe I00 against the turntable 91 and prevent rotation thereof. The opposite end of lever M14 is in a position to be engaged by the head of a screw I08 carried by a bar H0. The bar III) has a collar Ill fixed thereto and downward movement of bar III! is limited by engagement of collar III with a hub 2 which forms part of a bracket H3 which is rigidly secured to the stationary tubular member II. .As lowering movement of the cam mechanism proceeds and approaches a maximum, the left, end of;lever I04,

as viewed in Fig. 3, abuts the head of screw I08, and continued lowering movement of the cam mechanism releases the brake shoe I through link I03. When the cam mechanism is in a raised position the bar H0 is raised upwardly with it because the head of screw I08 is larger than the opening in support plate 85 through which the. bar passes. This renders the screw I08 accessible for adjustment at all times.

The efiect of freeing brake shoe I00 is to free the turntable 9| for free rotation and this obviously frees the cam 80 for free rotation since its previously fixed condition was maintained, through the intermediate gearing 81, 89, 90, by the action of the brake shoe I00 against turntable ill. The tendency then will be for the cam 86 to rotate synchronously with the support drum I6. This is due to the fact that the resistance of arms 28 to upward movement will cause the cam followers 62 to seek and retain the dwell points between the lobes 8| of the cam. I

7 It is not desired to entirely negative the action of cam 86 but merely to reduce the periodicity of the impulses which it imparts to arms 20 through the followers 62. The reason for desiring to reduce this periodicity is the increase in amplitude of the oscillationof arms 20 when cam 83 is in a fully lowered position. It will be clear from the foregoing that the periodicity of supplemental oscillation of arms 20 will be at a maximum when the cam'is held fixed and will reduce as the cam is permitted to rotate at increasing speeds.

The followin mechanism is provided for the purpose of insuring some relative rotation between the cam 80 and the support structure generally, such relative rotation being adjustable as will presently appear. In the illustrative instance this is accomplished by permitting the cam to rotate at a speed less than the speed of rotation of the car support structure; the different in their speeds being the speed of relative rotation of the cam. 7 An annular brake drum having an internal braking surface is designated I20 in Fi 3 and is rigidly supported by the bracket I 02.

The brake drum I20 is concentric with turntable 9| and the latter has brackets I2I which pivotally support rocker arms I22 which include brake shoes I23. The mass of the brake shoes I23 is such that centrifugal force, due to rotation of the turntable 9| by the arms 20 through the medium of the cam 80, tends to urge the shoes I23 into braking engagement with brake drum I 20. This centrifugal urge is partly counteracted by coil springs I25 which engage against levers I22 and have suitable anchorage on pins I26 which are supported by brackets I21 and engaged slideably with the upper ends of levers I 22. Nuts I28 may be threaded along pins I26 for varying the resilient urges of the several springs I25.

' From the foregoin it will be seen that as soon as turntable 9| tends to exceed a predetermined speed, which speed will be less than the normal operating speed of the arm support structure, the brake shoes I23 will overcome the resistance of springs I25 sufliciently to engage against the brake surface of drum I20 and thus restrict the speed of turntable SI and consequently the speed of cam 80. The gearing between cam 80 and turntable 9| causes the latter to move at a considerably higher velocity than the cam 80, so that centrifugal forces of sufiicient magnitude may be generated in brake shoes I23 to effect the desired results.

While a preferred form of driving and controlling the cam element has been shown in the drawings and described in detail herein, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that an independent motor, direct gearing from the main drive motor, or any other suitable means may be employed without departing from the broader aspects of novelty of this phase of the present invention.

As shown in detail in Fig. 2, the upper supporting chains 4| comprise a single length of chain for each car 40, such chain extending over a pair of pulleys I30 supported at the opposite ends of a bar I3I. Each bar I3I extends in the normal direction of movement of the cars and is rigidly attached to the outer end of an associated support arm 20. Provision is made for relative lateral displacement of adjacent cars by means of what is known in the art as an equalizing drum I32. This drum comprises essentially means for yieldably paying out a cord, cable or the like I33, the drum being secured to the chain M of one car and the element I33 extending to the adjacent chain 4'I of the adjacent car. Because of the action of cam 80, the undulations of the several cars follow sequentially and are not synchronous. Hence the elevations of adjacent cars will vary and the equalizing drum I32 permits such variation while normally tending to align the cars.

Because the center of mass of each car is between its supporting chains and cables, if a particular car swings forwardly of its supporting arm 20, as when the support structure is more or less suddenly decelerated, the car will swing in the manner of a pendulum. That is, its front end will rise above the back end, and this eliminates any possibility of occupants tending to pitch with the cars under these conditions, which would be a hazard if the fore-and-aft suspension of each car were of fixed relative length. This action of each individual car is permitted by virtue of the presence of the pulleys I30, which incorporate yieldable braking means (not shown), and are commercially available and known in the art as chain pocket wheels.

Each car is preferably provided with a fixed vertical fin as indicated at the rear ends of the cars 48 in Fig. l, the fins being designated I35. The fins I36 serve as airfoils tending to align the cars longitudinally against various forces tending to misalign them during their undulating circular travel. In the form illustrated in Fig.

1 the cars 40 are provided with curving overhead rails I31 which serve as convenient anchorages for the chains 42, assist in giving support to the fins I36, and provide convenient means to be grasped by patrons in entering or leaving the cars.

Fig. 5 shows an alternative support arm arrangement which provides for a yieldable application of the camming effect described above in the case of Figs. 1 and 3. As shown in Fig. 5, each supporting bracket I8, which, as in Figs. 1 and 3, is a radially extending part of rotatable drum I6, has a supporting arm I40 pivoted thereto. A cam follower arm I4I having a cam follower I42 is likewise pivoted to bracket I8 but, while a common pivot axis may be employed as illustrated in Fig. 5 the arm I40 and cam follower arm I M are not fixed for joint pivotal movement. Cam follower I4I forms part of a truss bracket I43 of generally triangular form. The bracket I43 hav pivotal connection as at I44 with a rod I45 which has a compression coil spring I46 disposed thereabout. The opposite end of rod megs-or l'45' extends freely through an j opening: a lug. 154"! on arm I402 One end" of spring F46 seats againstl'ug ['41 and the oppositeendisi anchored t'o'frod Hi as'b'y a nut Hi8 whiohjmay'beadiuste'dl along rod Hi 5"to" varythe initial tension of sprin M6.

It will be seenfrom theforegoingthat when arm Mil sufficiently resists the tendency of cam 80 to move it in a counterclockwise direction through the-intervention orrmitwer- M2, bracket l'4'3and"spring l'46', the excessor allot themovement of'cam follower arm' l'dl'in a counters-1ockwise direction will'merely be absorbed in" an' ad ditionally' stress spring M6.

What-{is claimed is:

1. Amusement'a'pp'aratus comprising a support andmeans for rotatingsa'id" support about a ver-'- ti'cal'axis', passenger carrier means; including a flexible suspension depending from said support at a predetermined"radial distance from said axis; a spacing ring concentric with the axis of said support and.disposedsubstantially below the-upper end of'said suspension, said spacing ring being of substantially gre'ater'radius than said radial distance whereby to positively engage said passenger carrier means-a-s-thelatter movesto rest position to dispose the carrier a predeter-- mined radial distance from said axis inre'stposition;

2'. Amusement apparatus comprising a support and means for rotating said support about a vertical axis, passenger carrier means including a suspension depending from said" support at apredetermined radial distance fromsaid axis; a spacing ring concentric with the axis of saidsupport and disposed substantially below the upper end of said suspension, said spacihg ring'being of substantially greater radius thansaid radial distancewhereby to positively engagesaid' passenger carrier means as the latter moves to rest position to dispose the carrier a predetermined-radial distance from said axis in rest'p'osition'.

3. Amusement apparatus comprising a support and means for rotating said supportab'outavertical axis, passenger carrier means including a flexible suspension depending from said support, a freely rotatable spacing ring'concentric with theaxis of said support and disposedsubstanti'a'lly below the upper end of said suspension whereby to'be engaged by said passenger carrier means as the latter moves to rest position to dispose the carrier 9, predeterminedradial distance from said axis in rest position.

4, Amusement apparatus comprising a support and means for rotating said' support abouta vertical axis, passenger carrier means including a suspension depending from sai'd'support', afreely rotatable spacing ringconcentri'c with -the axi's of said support and disposed substantially below the upper end of said suspension whereby to be -en-'- gaged by said passenger carrier means as-"the latter moves to rest position to dispose thecarri'er a predetermined radial distance'from said axisin rest position.

5. Amusement apparatus comprisihgi'a-support and means for rotating saidsupport about a ver tical axis, a passenger carrier; means'for'suspending the carrier from said support at a predetermined radial distance from said axiswhereby the carrier may move upwardly and outwardly under the infiuenceof-centrif-ugal iorce-whensaid support is rotated,. and a spacing. ring concentriowith the axis of said support, ,saidt spacing ring being of substantially greater radius than said'radi'al distance and disposed substantially below the upper end" of the uspension means whereby'tdbeengaged'by saidsu pension means as the'c'ar'rier moves to rest positio and thereby space the carrierepredetermined radial distance from saidaxisinrest position.

' 6. Amusement apparatus comprising a support andim eans" for rotating said support about averticafaxis, apas'seng'ercarrier, flexible means for suspending the carrier from said" support at a predetermined" radial distance from said axis whereby the carrie'rmaymove' upwardly andoutwardly under" the influence or centrifugal force when said support is rotated, and as'pacing ring concentric with the axis of said support, said spacing ring being" of substantially greater radius tnan'saidradial distance and disposed substantiallybel'ow the up'per'end of the suspension means whereby'to beeng'age'dby said suspension means as the carrier moves to rest position and thereby space the carrier a" predetermined radial distance from said axis in rest position.

7; Amusement apparatus comprising" a supportandmeansforrotating sai'dvsupport about a verti'oalaxis; a' passenger carrier, means for'suspendingthec'arri'er from said support whereby the carrier may move upwardly and outwardly under the influence of centrifugal -force when said support isrotated, and a freely rotatable spacing ring concentric with the axis'of-said support and disposed substantially below the upper end of the suspension meanswhereby tobe en'- gaged by said suspension means as the carrier moves to-rest position and thereby space the carrier a predetermined radial distance from said axi's 'in' rest position.

Amusement apparatus comprising a;- suppoi-"t andmeans for rotating-said support about a vertical'axis; a'passenger carrier, flexible means for" suspending the carrier from said support whereby the carriermaymove upwardlyand outwardly" under the influenc'eof centrifugalfor-3e when said support isrotated} and a freely rotatable spacing ring concentric with theaxis of-said support and disposed-substantially belowthe upp'e'r end of the suspension means whereby tobe engaged by said suspension means as the carrier moves to rest position and thereby space the carrier: a predetermined radial distancefrom said axis inirest position; 7

9. Amusement apparatus comprising a rotat-- ableisupport, a. plurality" of passenger carriers, meanssuspending eachrcarrier from said'support whereby thecarrier may move upwardly and outwardly under the influence of centrifugal forcewhen said-support is rotated, means acting against the: suspension. means for imparting a vertical" to and. fro component of movement thereto tocausei each carrierto pursue: an undulatingcircular course, the suspension means for each carrier including means extending; upwardly from fore and aft" points on" said carrier and pu11'ey:means,:saidfore-and aft upwardly extending; means; having; a flexible connecting portion extending over. saidpulley means,1 whereby-the effiective relative-lengths -of. the fore 'anc't'aft' up Wardly" extending means may vary to permit raising-of-one endof the carrier'relative to the other, and yieldably extensible means engaging between adjacent carriersfor yieldably restraining-movementof said carriers out of alignment either vertically or horizontally.

Q10. Amusementfapparatus comprising a rotatable support, a plurality of passenger "carriers, meanssu'spending eachcarrierfrom' saidsupport whereby the carrier may move upwardly'and' out"- wardly under the influence of centrifugal force when said support is rotated, said suspension means comprising arm means pivoted to said support, a pair of pulley elements carried by said arm means and spaced in the direction in which said arm means are rotated by said support, and a continuous suspension element extending upwardly from the front portion of the carrier, over both pulleys and down to the rear portion of the carrier, whereby each carrier may change its longitudinal attitude by movement of said suspension element on said pulleys, and yieldably extensible means engaging between adjacent carriers for yieldably restraining movement of said carriers out of alignment either vertically or horizontally.

11. Amusement apparatus comprising a rotatable support, a, plurality of passenger carriers, and means suspending each carrier from said support whereby the carrier may move upwardly and outwardly under the influence of centrifugal force when said support is rotated, said suspension means including a pair of pulley elements spaced in the direction in which said arm means are rotated by said support and a continuous suspension element extending upwardly from the front portion of the carrier, over both pulleys and down to the rear portion of the carrier, whereby each carrier may change its longitudinal attitude by movement of said suspension element on said pulleys, and yieldably extensible means engaging between adjacent carriers for yieldably restraining movement of said carriers out of alignment either vertically or horizontally.

12. Amusement apparatus comprising a rotatable support, a plurality of passenger carriers, and means suspending each carrier from said support whereby the carrier may move upwardly and outwardly under the influence of centrifugal force when said support is rotated, said suspension means including pulley means and a continuous suspension element extending upwardly from the front portion of the carrier, over the pulley means and down to the rear portion of the carrier, whereby each carrier may change its longitudinal attitude by movement of said suspension element on said pulleys, and yieldably extensible means engaging between adjacent carriers for yieldably restraining movement of said carriers out of alignment either vertically or horizontally.

13. Amusement apparatus comprising a rotatable support, a plurality of passenger carriers, means suspending each carrier from said support whereby the carrier may move upwardly and outwardly under the influence of centrifugal force when said support is rotated, and a rotatable spacing ring concentric with the axis of said support and disposed substantially below the upper ends of the suspension means to be engaged by said suspension means as the carriers move to rest position during deceleration, whereby the carriers are retained in alignment in a circle of predetermined diameter with the suspension means arrested in an oblique position.

14. Amusement apparatus comprising a rotatable support, a plurality of passenger carriers, means suspending each carrier from said support whereby the carrier may move upwardly and outwardly under the influence of centrifugal force when said support is rotated, a rotatable spacing ring concentric with the axis of said support and disposed substantially below the upper ends of the suspension means to be engaged by said suspension means as the carriers move to rest position during deceleration, whereby the carriers are retained in alignment in a circle of predetermined diameter with the suspension means arrested in an oblique position, and means acting against the several suspension means for imparting an up and down component of movement to cause the carriers to pursue an undulating circular course.

15. Amusement apparatus comprising a support and means for rotating said support about a vertical axis, passenger carrier means including a suspension depending from said support, a spacing ring concentric with the aXiS of said support and disposed substantially below the upper end of said suspension to be engaged by said passenger carrier means as the latter moves to rest position to dispose the carrier a pre-determined radial distance from said axis in rest position, and means rotatably supporting said spacing ring independently of said first-mentioned support.

16. Amusement apparatus comprising a rotatable support, a plurality of passenger carriers, means suspending each carrier from said support whereby the carrier may move upwardly and outwardly under the influence of centrifugal force when said support is rotated, said suspension means comprising arm means pivoted to said support, pulley means carried by said arm means and rotatable in a plane substantially along the path of movement of the suspension means as the support is rotated, and a flexible suspension element extending over said pulley means and downwardly to support each carrier, whereby said carrier may swing ahead of or fall behind its associated arm means during rotation thereof, and yieldably extensible means engaging between adjacent carriers for yieldably restraining movement of said carriers out of alignment either vertically or horizontally.

17. Amusement apparatus comprising a support and means for rotating said support about a vertical axis, passenger carrier means including a flexible suspension depending from said support, a spacing ring concentric with the axis of said support and disposed substantially below the upper end of said suspension means whereby portions of said passenger carrier means engage portions of said spacing ring as the former moves to rest position to dispose the carrier a predetermined radial distance from said axis in rest position, one of said engaging portions being rotatable to provide anti-friction engagement therebetween.

NORMAN BARTLETT.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 804,147 Maxim Nov. 7, 1905 2,304,341 Dennis Dec. 8, 1912 2,364,699 Eastman Dec. 12, 1944 2,195,805 Baker Apr. 2, 1940 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 20,832 Great Britain Sept. 20, 1911 184,581 Great Britain Aug. 18, 1922 366,599 Germany Jan. 8, 1923 19,988 Great Britain Sept. 1, 1909 410,633 Germany Mar. 11, 1925 

